The Earth is out of time—or so says the handsome stranger a young woman discovers hiding in her new house. The Virginia city of Augusta may seem idyllic, but it harbors a terrible secret that threatens the whole world. And only the two of them, working together, can stop it.

In his fifth novel, Virginia author Matthew Warner sidesteps from his usual horror genre fare into urban fantasy. The Seventh Equinox is set in a small Shenandoah Valley city that is based on his home of Staunton.

In the book, readers will find many of the things that make the area special: its small-town charm—everything from antiques stores to greasy spoon restaurants to solicitous neighbors—to its unique geography, such as its vast underground caverns and the fabled Skyline Drive.

From the Back of the Book

Her recent divorce left Bessie Henderson on guard against being exploited by any man. When she escapes to Augusta, Virginia, she’s captivated by the small town’s charm, but also its quirks: her intrusive elderly neighbor, the secret labyrinth of caverns beneath her Victorian house—and the man hiding from the law in her root cellar.

But Robin Goodfellow is not just a criminal. He’s a fertility demigod called the Hunter. He’s been injured, and he needs Bessie’s life force to survive. By the spring equinox, he must complete the grand Hunt, an ancient ritual of environmental renewal, or the planet will slowly die.

As the equinox nears, the couple must reconcile their growing feelings for each other. Bessie may not be ready to trust and give to another man, especially one who takes so much from her. And Robin must choose between love and duty—a duty that means life for the planet but death for himself.

Praise for Matthew Warner

“Warner has created an everyman for our time, and if the result is not pleasant or escapist, it is compelling and insightful.” —Publishers Weekly

“Matthew Warner is a talent to watch, one of the new crop of hot young writers who will one day rule the school.” —F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack series

“There’s a new gun in town. His name is Matthew Warner, and he’s taking on all challengers with writing that crackles with tension, energy, and imagination.” —Thomas F. Monteleone, author of The Blood of the Lamb

“Matthew Warner is a brand you can trust.” —Craig Clarke, Somebody Dies

“Warner is poised to be the newest genre master.” —G-Pop

About the Author

Matthew Warner’s publishing credits span a variety of formats, although readers mostly know him through his horror novels and short stories. Dramatic works include films from Darkstone Entertainment based on his screenplays, plus a radio play and stage play premiered by theaters in central Virginia. Warner lives with his wife, the artist Deena Warner, and sons, Owen and Thomas. Readers can visit him at matthewwarner.com.

About the Publisher

RDSP is in its 10th year publishing, “fiction that foams at the mouth.” With releases that combine and cross genres including horror, literary, science-fiction, experimental and bizarro, RDSP continues to bring you the best that fringe fiction has to offer.

Subscribe

Augusta Free Press launched in 2002. The site serves as a portal into life in the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia – in a region encompassing Augusta County, Albemarle County and Nelson County and the cities of Charlottesville, Staunton and Waynesboro, at the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park and the Appalachian Trail.